4 Flyers With Most At Stake In Second Half

Wednesday’s game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens will officially mark the halfway point of the Flyers’ regular season. It’s been about as successful a start as they could have hoped for (unless you’re a fan wishing for a full-on tank) – the team is on the playoff bubble in the Eastern Conference.

This wasn’t considered a critical season for the team. For some players, their future with the organization and in the NHL was at stake. The first 40 games have already provided clarity on some – Sean Couturier sure looks at least close to the Selke Trophy contender he was before missing a season and a half due to multiple back surgeries, and his job seems pretty stable.

However, the fate of others is still undecided. The second half will mean different things for different players: some are trying to push for bigger roles, while others have their contracts expiring, and more may be trying to prove that they can still be everyday contributors. Though Philadelphia’s surprising start means every game is important the rest of the way, here are some Flyers with a bit more at stake.

Cam Atkinson

Cam Atkinson entered the season in roughly the same boat as Couturier. He missed the entire 2022-23 season with a neck injury, but, before that, he was a quality second-line scorer who could play effectively in all three situations. Out of the gates, Atkinson’s return to play was similarly successful as Couturier’s. By Black Friday, he had eight goals and 14 points in 20 games, a 57-point pace. It looked like the old Atkinson was back.

But December was as brutal as any month in Atkinson’s 12-year career. He hasn’t scored a goal since Nov. 11, a once unthinkable slump for a seven-time 20-goal scorer. At first, he was still playing well and generating chances, but then he lost sight of the details as frustration mounted. The Flyers have been outscored, outshot and (very marginally) out-chanced with Atkinson on the ice at 5-on-5. His penalty kill usage has also taken a step back, something that was once a staple of his game.

It culminated in a much-needed scratch from the lineup on Jan. 4. To his credit, Atkinson owned his struggles. While he remained snakebitten in his first game back, he got good looks, although his underlying numbers were nothing special.

For Atkinson, a strong second half would create a much more optimistic outlook for his future. The 34-year-old is…